


fair and square

by chimera5xg



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Nohebi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 13:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20228242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chimera5xg/pseuds/chimera5xg
Summary: Daishou really liked Nohebi’s banner.It was a mint green, which, while irrelevant, was a very nice colour to look at. It wasn’t green and yellow to match Nohebi’s jerseys and that suited Daishou very much.





	fair and square

**Author's Note:**

> based off the engeki haikyuu nohebi banner which you can see here  
its been three months since tokyo no jin finished and im still here thinking about nohebi  
wrote this at midnight since it was nohebi loving hours  
hiss hiss bitch

Daishou really liked Nohebi’s banner.

It was a mint green, which, while irrelevant, was a very nice colour to look at. It wasn’t green and yellow to match Nohebi’s jerseys and that suited Daishou very much.

The real reason why Daishou liked Nohebi’s banner so much was because of what was written on it. It read: _Fair and Square_.

There were multiple ways to interpret that motto, but most took it to mean Nohebi valued an even playing field and sporting behaviour. Opposing teams, upon reading the banner, often shot Nohebi the dirtiest looks. They had heard the rumours about the team known as the snakes. They had noticed how the referees almost always favoured them. They knew about the muttered taunts and the sly smiles.

How could any team with tactics like that claim to play _fair and square_?

“Cheaters,” losers would spit after the game.

Daishou taught his team to smile back. Remember, they were the winners. Losers were people who didn’t try hard enough. If they wanted to win so bad, they should’ve done anything that could’ve given them a point.

Daishou taught his team that being called a cheater was a compliment. That’s how losers justify themselves losing. How could they possibly win against a team that cheated? By refusing to acknowledge they just weren’t good enough, and refusing to improve, Nohebi always wins.

Numai had never really understood Daishou’s reasoning on that, and by their second year Daishou had given up on trying to convince him. Luckily, the first years at the time, Akama and Seguro, seemed to swallow it with no hesitation.

A year later, Daishou was pleased to see Kuguri nod at his explanation, although upon later reflection Daishou realised Kuguri may have just fallen asleep.

Sakishima had once pointed out that Nohebi never really cheated. They won referees’ favours, played up to the crowds, exploited loopholes, disrupted the flow of the game, bent rules until they showed signs of cracking, but never did they cheat.

Daishou agreed. He later discovered that Nohebi’s techniques could be classified as gamesmanship: using dubious – but not technically illegal – methods to win; pushing rules to the limit. Daishou liked that. Volleyball is a game, after all.

One of Daishou’s favourite tactics was the taunts. It was fun trying to spot which player was the easiest target, trying to find exactly what would get under his skin. The taunt was like a venom, spreading from the bite wound and making its way to the brain.

First years were _easy_. Most were wide-eyed, surprised they even got a chance to stand on the court. Aim a comment at them to decimate their fleeting confidence and they were done.

The guys who acted tough were easy too. Most of them hid some debilitating insecurity and put on the act to compensate. It was entertaining watching them trying not to let it affect them. They knew they weren’t mad at Nohebi, but themselves.

Nohebi circled their opponents until they pushed their own self-destruct button.

Sakishima’s personal interpretation of the team motto was it was a reminder, however subtle, to losing teams that Nohebi won entirely on fair terms. Beware.

Takachiho had argued back that while they had won fair, it was hardly square, so the motto didn’t even make sense.

Sakashima had replied that maybe the banner was just Nohebi pettiness and was purely for rubbing their victory in the losers’ faces.

Daishou had just let them bicker that day, and mentally awarded Sakishima a point as he finished his milkshake.

Hiroo liked the idea that the motto was another layer in the constant game of winning over the people. After all, he put forward, would you rather root for a team with a banner advocating fairness, or a team that had a banner about how strength was the best way to go?

Daishou quite liked that idea too. Nohebi was all about the presentation really. Layers and layers of pretence wrapped in illusion with a dusting of good manners and a far-travelling reputation hid a solid core of skilled plays and quick decisions based on friendship, hard work, and trust.

Show the crowd a team of polite, sporty, young men. Show the opponents the layer beneath: taunts and insincere apologies and near-injuries from stepping too far. Keep everyone from seeing the truth. Underneath it all, Nohebi are _strong_. In all honesty, they have powerful serves and solid receives and high blocks. But why not do everything in your power to win that much more easily, or that much faster?

Daishou really likes Nohebi’s banner.

It’s a shame he won’t be playing with it flying behind him ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> [chimera5xg.tumblr.com](https://chimera5xg.tumblr.com)


End file.
